Ohio State Fair

Mixing the old fair favorites with new

View SlideshowRequest to buy this photoEamon Queeney | DispatchAllison McKee, 2, of Columbus, looks at the annual butter sculptures on display in the Dairy Products Building. The Ohio State Fair kicks off its first official day today.

Out with the old and in with the new isn’t quite the mantra at the Ohio State Fair.

“It’s more of a balancing act” — keeping the old while making room for the new, spokeswoman Alicia Shoults said.

The fair opens its 12-day run today.

On the new side this year are camel rides and maple-bacon ice cream.

Back for its third year is a relative newcomer: “Agriculture is Cool,” a fan favorite that fair officials expect to stick around. Students who just finished the fourth grade are admitted free to learn about agriculture.

Yesterday, though, it was all about two longtime crowd-pleasers: the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir and the butter sculptures.

On display in the Dairy Building are the butter sculptures, created from 8,000 sticks and 2,000 pounds of butter from Texas. The life-size cow and calf have been a staple at the fair since 1903. In the 1960s, a third sculpture was added. The identity is kept a secret until the day before the fair.

This year, the third sculpture pays tribute to Glenville Thomas and the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir, which was founded 50 years ago. Thomas directed the choir until his death in 1991, when Charles Snyder took over.

Snyder was put on leave on July 11 because of an investigation of reported illegal sexual conduct by a former member of the choir staff. Zachary R. Ruppel, 26, has been charged with soliciting nude pictures and sex acts from two boys in exchange for membership in the 200-person choir.

The butter sculpture was planned six months ago, long before the investigation became public, said Jenny Hubble, vice president of communications for the American Dairy Association Mideast and the Ohio Dairy Producers Association. The American Dairy Association, which commissioned the display, continued with the theme because of respect for Thomas and his work.

“I know (the investigation) is what a lot of people think of, but that’s not what this is about,” Hubble said. “It’s really about Glenville and the choir.”

In keeping with the fair’s desire to keep old traditions fresh, the butter sculptures have a new home. Their 50-year-old cooler has been replaced with a new model.

“There’s no doubt that we’ve limped through the last few years, keeping our fingers crossed that we weren’t going to have a butter meltdown,” Hubble said.

The dairy association paid about $200,000 for the new cooler, new appliances and new decorative wall paneling over the past few years, Hubble said.

Last year, 840,300 people piled into the fairgrounds, with 500,000 visiting the Dairy Building.

Longtime visitors have other favorites, too. “I mean, we have to grab some ice cream,” said Connie Sutherland, 70, of Lima, who was at the fair yesterday to see her granddaughter in the horse show .

“I guess for me it’s the horse and cow smell,” said Debbie Ferrante, 51, of Canton.

Gov. John Kasich will participate in today’s opening ceremony at 9 a.m. at the Cardinal Gate.